Music Faze - The Electro House, Dubstep, EDM Music Blog

Coyote Kisses - Thundercolor EP [Review]

2013-05-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Coyote Kisses - Thundercolor (EP)
Release Date: 2013-05-05
Label(s): SoMeta Records
Genre(s): Electronica (Glitchstep)

Track List
1. Diving at Night (2:40)
2. Stay With You (4:19)
3. This Is How You Know (5:02)
4. Changing Guard (4:11)

Coyote Kisses crept onto the electronic dance music platform with their melodic electronica track "Acid Wolfpack" a combined synth and electro medley. As ear-pleasing as the track was, releases from Coyote Kisses were few and far between. Their new album Thundercolor marks their first multi-track effort and definitely worth the listen.

When first listening you can easily hear the creativity behind each track. The four songs have a distinctive sound that makes it hard to put them collectively in an electronic sub-genre. Rather, each track is simply a 'Coyote Kisses track.'

"Diving at Night" is a slow-rising introduction sounding a lot like an 80's theme. It features a small glimpse into what is to come without committing to a full-length track. The meat of this release are the two middle tracks. The driving excellence of Thundercolor is its use of vocal distortions. The combination of the vocal range and the mysteriousness of the lyrics (as it's often too split to understand) makes the vocals float like a harmonious ghost. The song's are strong by themselves, but this addition leaves a lasting impression in the listener's ear. "Stay With You" is a powerful fusion of female vocal riffs and a glitch jam; a very strong song. "This is How You Know" follows suit, another strong track. Here the vocals are male with a bouncy pop feel leaving a happy feeling everytime I listen. Both tracks are some of the strongest I've heard all year, and perhaps in a while. You can be sure they'll be making an appearance on the top tracks by year's end.

"Changing Guard" is also in the same vein as the intro with a slowly 80's style progressing melody. There's a lot to like, but it is not your typical electronica track. It has an end-credits feel with rising guitar riffs that remind me of Top Gun. It makes a fitting conclusion to an epic set. As one of my favorite releases of the year this album is not to be missed.

Grade: A+

You can nab Thundercolor electronically at Beatport.

JELO, Savant, Adam K - Four Days EP [Review]

2013-05-09T11:26:00.000-04:00

JELO, Savant, & Adam K - Four Days (EP)
Release Date: 2013-05-06
Label(s): SectionZ Records
Genre(s): Electro House

Track List
1. Baddery (3:43) (Savant and JELO)
2. Damage (4:11) (Savant and Adam K)

The combination of three very talented electronic music producers should yield an impressive release. Though three names brandish the cover, only two artists contribute to each track with Savant being the constant. It would have been interesting to hear all three collaborate to each track, but I'll take what I can get. Savant has been a favorite of mine for the past year largely thanks to Vario and The Alchemist. There is plenty to sample from Savant as he has the most prolific production schedule of any artist with four releases this year alone. His newest, 4 Days EP, is a mixed-bag.

The first track is "Baddery," the collaboration of Savant with JELO. The track starts with an ominous male voice taunting the listener in rhythm. It slowly fades into a basic electronic house beat with grinding acid synths. The occasional flutter or high-pitched squeal gives the song a dance-floor feel. At around the 1:35 mark the song breaks into a classic Savant synth melody before changing into a weird, random breakdown. The song finishes off fluctuating between the three or four different sound pattern. It fades out as an unimpressive track.

The second track, "Damage," features the collaboration of Savant and Adam K and is the better of the two. It is more progressive, more pattern-based electro. Normally, that's not an issue but the two songs contrast immensely; to the point where the album's feel doesn't fit the bill. A nice Savant touch includes the distorted vocals sprinkled throughout giving it a 'sweet' feeling. The song is pretty cliche in terms of style and flips between the soft break and the heavier bridges. It is decidedly better than "Baddery," but still not the riveting jam one would expect from such a collaboration.

Grade: C+

4 Days EP is available to purchase from Beatport.

Top 20 Dance Songs of 2013 (So Far)

2013-05-07T16:19:00.000-04:00

2013 has been an illustrious year for the electronic dance music scene. Plenty of new artists have wowed us with their production talent. Established crowd-pleasing acts have released electro anthems that only increase their popularity. As we approach the halfway point of the year, let's take a look at some of the best dance tracks to come out so far in 2013.

20. Pegboard Nerds, Tristam - Razor Sharp

19. MUST DIE! feat. Natasha Fox - I'm So Sorry

18. The Chainsmokers - The Rookie

17. PIXL - Astrocat

16. Knife Party - Power Glove

15. Prototyperaptor - 9Bit Sunrise

14. Singularity feat. Steffi Nguyen - Breathe (Au5, Auratic, IYFFE Remix)

13. Schoolboy - Project No Autotune

12. Revolvr - Clockwork

11. Getter - I Want More

10. Wolfgang Gartner feat. Medina - Overdose

09. Daddy's Groove - Hurricane

08. Prototyperaptor - Inner Machinations

07. Let's Be Friends - Pull Up Your Finger

06. Royksopp - Running to the Sea (Protohype & Carnage Remix)

05. Kill Paris - Slap Me

04. Pegboard Nerds, Splitbreed - We Are One

03. Ramses B - Pulsefire Ezreal

02. Au5, IYFFE, Auratic - Sweet

01. Dead Pixel - Rage Quit

I put everything together in one combined track (I'd hesitate to call it a mix, but it serves the purpose of the article). Feel free to comment below.

Pegboard Nerds & Tristam - Razor Sharp [Review]

2013-05-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

Pegboard Nerds; Tristam - Razor Sharp (Original Mix) - Single
Release Date: 2013-05-01
Label(s): Monstercat
Genre(s): Glitch Hop
For Fans of: Knife Party, Splitbreed, Dallask,

Track List
1. Razor Sharp (4:41)

Some electronic music labels boast an impressive lineup. You read off the names and can instantly associate the acts with incredible tracks. Monstercat is one such label. Their acts have included Krewella, Au5, Splitbreed, Stereotronique, and Solero to name a few. The focus here, though, is the combined efforts of Pegboard Nerds and Tristam. The Nerds are one of the more accomplished acts in the electro house/glitch hop scene having already dished out several tracks in the past few months. Such tunes were instant jam anthems notably with "We are One," "Close Encounter," "Self Destruct," and "20K." When Pegboard announced a few weeks ago that they were working on a new track with fellow labelmate, Tristam, I was excited. Would it be another kick-pounding anthem Pegboard could add to their already stellar set list? And would the collaboration with accomplished Tristam blow the lid off the track?

Razor Sharp is indeed a heavy-hitter and a rousing crowd-pleaser for fans of electro hop and its bastard child, glitch hop. The song starts with an obligatory drum-fused build with plenty of hints to the coming drop. Some string and strong melodic synths break up the pattern before segueing into the song's heart. Right before the penultimate moment, a children's choir pipes in with a high-pitched "ra-zor sharp!" before spilling into glitchy moombahton madness. The track then intertwines its drop with a repeat of the build and pre-drop chorus. It was a bit surprising the song did not drop "harder," or at least more often, but it does the genre admirably. The inclusion of Tristam, no doubt, keeps the song more on the melodic/progressive edge than a harder glitch listeners are used to with Pegboard. Regardless, it is still a top track worth listening to.

Grade: B+

Razor Sharp is available for digital download on Beatport.

Knife Party - Haunted House EP [Review]

2013-05-06T15:22:00.003-04:00

Knife Party - Haunted House (EP)
Release Date: 2013-05-06
Label(s): Earstorm/Big Beat Records
Genre(s): Electro House

Track List
1. Power Glove (4:21)
2. LRAD (5:15)
3. EDM Death Machine (4:23)
4. Internet Friends (VIP) (5:00)

The emerging electronic house duo Knife Party, consisting of Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen, continues on their impressive musical adventure with the release of their new EP Haunted House. The band's previous venture, Rage Valley, was an incredible entry for the electro house genre thus it was only fitting to hope that Haunted House follow similar suit.

The first track, "Power Glove," is a resounding electric jam in the same vein as the kickstarter from Rage,
"Rage Valley" (or even "Centipede"). With the incessant echo of a menacing voice repeating "now you're playing with power," this pumped-up dance track is a definite anthem tune paying homeage to Nintendo's archaic gaming appendage. With swift kicks and an energetic feel, Power Glove certainly is a solid way to start the album. The next song, "LRAD," is a mixture of electro house and jacked house with some minimalistic foundations. Heavy acid synths periodically sprinkled about provide some solace from the dark ambience the untraditional chorus delivers. LRAD swings back-and-forth between the almost moombahton roots with a melodic take on Chicago-house-meets-electro-house. "EDM Death Machine," is certainly a spiritual successor to Modern Talking's "Internet Friends." In the same vein, it starts off with an robotic, metallic male voice foreshadowing the ultimate demise of several cliched phrases, many of which are overused in the electronic dance music scene (such as 'dropping the bass'). A thunderous kick propels the monotonous tune into a change of pace halfway-through; a poetic bridge that has throwback roots to early 90's techno music. This nostalgic rift could be an ironic tribute to the vast difference in early to modern electronic music, much as the opening monologue alluded to a change for the future.

Unfortunately, the musical journey ends on a sour note. The final track of Haunted House is a VIP cut of Knife Party's most popular track Internet Friends (and with its immediate placement after EDM Death Machine, you can hear the similarities of the voices between these two tracks). While the track certainly is a must-have for any Knife Party fan, chances are they've already heard it a dozen times. Surely it would have been better to end the EP with an original track instead. With a year between their releases, it's barely enough to get by with the few original features they put out.

Overall, the effort of providing fans of their work some EDM solace was a success. With power anthems in both Power Glove and EDM Death Machine, there's enough substance here to last us a few months. However, the audience will desire something soon before the cries for originality will become too thunderous to ignore. As with any dance music album these days, you can purchase this four-track EP on Beatport via digital download.

Grade: B+

We're Coming Back!

2013-05-06T08:42:00.000-04:00

After a yearlong hiatus, I've decided to restart the machine that is Music Faze. Though I stopped writing, I continued to listen to EDM (electronic dance music) with the same intensity. There is still a lot to be said (and written) about the popularity of dubstep, house, electro, glitch hop, and the numerous other sub-genres that encompass dance music. For now, my focus will be to continue the same trend as before: sharing EDM music I come across and allowing you, the listener, to decide if it's worthy of your own ears. For those of you who are stumbling across this music blog for the first time, know that there's much more to come (and soon). If you've managed to remain a fan all this time, I thank you for your loyalty. Stay tuned for more content, more posts, and especially more electronic music.

Wolfgang Gartner - Welcome Back

Disco Fries ft. Niles Mason - Born to Fly (Disco House)

2012-02-09T10:48:00.001-05:00

Came across this today. This is a hot, hot, hot song. It's got a great disco backing that, surprisingly, does not get old. Disco Fries has established themselves as a hot commodity in the disco/dance/club/electronic industry. Another thing worth mentioning is the flavor and power the vocals add. Normally I am not a huge fan of male vocals in electronic dance tracks; they seem to remove the strength of the backing music. This Niles Mason, however, does a splendid job. Check this track out, definitely will see this again in the top ten tracks for February.

Feed Me - One Click Headshot & Whiskers

2012-02-06T08:57:00.000-05:00

Big stuff from UK electronic house producer Feed Me. He's got news about his new tour "With Teeth" and is releasing his newest EP on mau5trap records today. He's already gaining traction for releasing his first single with Gemini late last week titled "Whiskers" and "One Click Headshot." Both singles will be on his EP "Teeth." Though, as of this morning, the EP doesn't appear to be up yet on Beatport on the mau5trap website, I will keep everyone posted as to when it does.

Feed Me - One Click Headshot

Feed Me & Gemini - Whiskers

Top Ten Dance Tracks (January 2012)

2012-02-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

Instead of the normal Weekly Faze, I've decided to announce the top ten tracks of January 2012. This list is one I think most of us can agree on. There's a load of talent on this list, and I am proud to be a member of such an emerging, evolving community. Music Faze presents to you the top ten dance tracks from January 2012....

10. Walden - Distance

09. Riva Starr & Fatboy Slim - Get Naked (Louis La Roche 'Is It Summer Yet' Remix)

08. Filo & Peri - Sub Zero

07. Star Wars - Binary Suns (Coyote Kisses Remix)

06. Oliver - Dirty Talk

05. Netsky - Give & Take

04. Skrillex - Breakin' A Sweat (Zedd Remix)

03. Krewella - Killin' It

02. Star Wars - Duel of the Fates

01. Zedd - Slam The Door

Filo & Peri - What You Came Here For

2012-02-01T13:00:00.011-05:00

Last week, I posted on Filo & Peri's new single on Beatport "Sub Zero." It was a pretty hot mess and featured some signature sounds that showcased raw talent. Just a week later they've got a preview for a new track "What You Came Here For." This new sound is a mix of dutch and hands up club, with jumping melodies and blaring kicks. Check out there new song below and follow them on Facebook as well.

Filo & Peri - What You Came Here For | Facebook | Twitter

Wolfgang Gartner - There And Back (Dead Cat Bounce Remix)

2012-02-01T07:53:00.000-05:00

Just a few days ago, Wolfgang Gartner released a preview for his newest single "There and Back." Now, hot off the trail of their Star Wars remix of "Duel of the Fates" with the Noisy Freaks, Dead Cat Bounce is back with another top notch, hi-quality remix of "There and Back." This song just released today, so check it out while it's still fresh.

Wolfgang Gartner - There and Back (Dead Cat Bounce Remix) | Download

Lucky Date - Six 16 (Electro/House) (Preview)

2012-01-31T10:25:00.000-05:00

This is pretty hot. Lucky Date is one of my favorites (believe me, I've got a lot of favorites) in the electro house genre. Filled with wobbles, glitches, and hard kicks his new track "Six 16" is a perfect fit with the rest of his collection. This track is fresh off the press as it was just released on his Soundcloud page a few hours ago. Give it a few hours and it will be one of the hottest, new tracks on the scene. Hear it first and be on the look out for an official release sometime real soon. Look for Lucky Date on tour starting in February: "Lucky Date will be supporting Excison and Liquid Stranger on the 50+ "X-Tour" which kicks off on Thursday, February 2nd in Seattle, Washington."

Skrillex ft. The Doors - Breakin' A Sweat (Zedd Remix) (Hi-Quality)

2012-01-31T10:03:00.001-05:00

Another epic collaboration! Zedd is quickly becoming one of my favorite EDM artists. He's got a slew of hits: "Shave It," "Slam the Door," and now an incredible remix of Skrillex's song "Breakin' a Sweat." Dare I say that is is better than the original version by Skrillex? Perhaps, but I doubt I would be alone. While the original retains a certain calmness rarely exhibited by Skrillex, Zedd takes the whole song out of the box and explodes it. This is the song I would have rather heard on the Bangarang album. Zedd's remix does it justice and you need to check this out. This is song is available to buy on February 7th on Beatport, so the best thing out there is a high-quality radio rip. I will follow up with the Beatport link when the song debuts. In the meantime, check out below.

Skrillex - Breakin' A Sweat (Zedd Remix) | Download

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Redial - Hit the Brakes (Electro Hop)

2012-01-31T09:49:00.000-05:00

Redial produced one of my favorite songs from last year "Venom" (and the eventual, incredible remix by Controls). I've been a fan of his since then and am excited to see his new offerings for us. Well, he's been working on a new track as of late and just posted the final version of the song on his Soundcloud. His new track is titled "Hit the Brakes" which combines electro house with electro hop. The new jam is a definite party track and look forward to download options if/when it becomes available.

Redial - Hit the Brakes | Facebook | Soundcloud

Wolfgang Gartner - There And Back (Preview)

2012-01-28T19:50:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite artists, and top dj/producers of the year last year, has gone a snippet of his first new song of 2012. Gartner struck gold last year with a string a hits, along with the production of his first album "Weekend in America." With another track on its way like "There and Back" there's bound to be buzzing about his talent yet again. Check out the preview for his new track, which is streaming from his Soundcloud page. I will be posting a follow up post when there's more of this electronic goodness.

Walden - Distance (Electro/House)

2012-01-28T12:00:00.000-05:00

Alot of things don't make sense. One such thing is the fact that 18 year old Australian producer Walden has less than 300 followers on his Soundcloud. In the words of every CIA operative 'We have a situation.' Walden needs hardly an introduction or justification for his loads of talent. I first came across him months ago when he debuted his Star Wars-esque track "A New Hope." Since then, I've been following this kid like a hawk and for obvious good reasons. If you like feel-good dance tracks, then this is where you get your fix. It seems like every other week he's got some new stuff up for your ears, constantly evolving, constantly improving the sound. Check out his newest work "Distance" as well as the Star Wars techno jam "A New Hope." Then, do yourself a favor and like him on Facebook. He is definitely a talent worth keeping tabs on.

Walden - Distance | Like on Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Walden - A New Hope (Star Wars Techno)

Zedd - Slam the Door (gLAdiator Remix)

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

On the heels of one of the best songs of 2012 (if not, the best song of 2012) comes the customary wave of remixes. Only a dozen or so remixes have surfaced thus far and with, in my opinion, passable results. However, I caught this remix on Soundcloud just yesterday. An electronic music producer by the name of gLAdiator (guess where he's from) has created an admirable remix to Zedd's song and certainly deserves the press for this. Check out gLAdiator's Facebook, Soundcloud below and listen to his great remix of "Slam the Door."

Zedd - Slam The Door (gLAdiator Remix) | Soundcloud | Facebook

Weekly Faze - Volume 2

2012-01-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

It's volume 2 for everybody's favorite weekly dump post for electronic dance music I may have missed in the previous week's postings. Perhaps I liked them, but didn't think I could fit a whole post around it, or I just figured it would be best in a post like this. Regardless, please enjoy, listen, stream, and download this week's Weekly Faze.

View last week's Weekly Faze

Nero - Must Be the Feeling (Delta Heavy Remix)

2012-01-27T08:51:00.001-05:00

Who is this Delta Heavy band? And why are they remixing an awesome song? Because they're good at it. This heavy-hitting remix of "Must Be the Feeling" is a clean, sharp, electro glitch goodness. They've completely changed the direction of the original song and have created a brand new beast. This is when remixing succeeds on another level; the ability to transform the bare bones of a project and breathe life into it. Delta Heavy may not have been a band I had heard of a week ago, but this is an electronic duo I'm keeping an eye on. Check out their remix below, and be sure to friend them on Facebook.

Nero - Must Be the Feeling (Delta Heavy Remix) | Facebook | Soundcloud

Afrojack and Shermanology - Can't Stop Me (Listen & Download)

2012-01-26T18:02:00.002-05:00

A bit of late evening, at least where I live, house for your listening pleasure. Afrojack and Shermanology teamed up for this electro anthem and released the track earlier this week. This is sure to follow in the footsteps of Afrojack's other mainstream hits like "We're all no one" (with Nervo) and "Take over control" (with Eva Simons). Before you know it, this will be the radio-friendly club hit of the year. But that's only an assumption: you can make your own judgement below by checking out the song.

Afrojack & Shermanology - Can't Stop Me | Buy this on Beatport

Nero Tour - Second Reality Tour (March/April 2012)

2012-01-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

The official website for the electro house band Nero has tickets for their upcoming March/April tour on sale for pre-order now:

Get tickets to the upcoming Nero Tour here with the lowest fees possible before they go onsale elsewhere with higher service fees. The prices here are all-in: what you see is what you get.
Each ticket, or pair of tickets, comes with:
- one (1) immediate 320kbps mp3 download of Welcome Reality
- one (1) commemorative laminate*, exclusive to this pre-sale
*Includes code for access to future digital goods
Physical tickets and laminates will be mailed no later than 10-14 days prior to the show. If you have any questions about your tickets, laminates, or digital download, please contact customer support.

This tour schedule is as follows, orders your tickets now:

03/29/12
9:30 Club
All Ages
Washington

03/30/12
Electric Factory
All Ages
Philadelphia

03/31/12
Roseland Ballroom
18+
New York

04/03/12
House of Blues
All Ages
Boston

04/04/12
Metropolis
All Ages
Montreal

04/06/12
Sound Academy
All Ages
Toronto

04/07/12
Congress Theater
17 +
Chicago

04/08/12
Riverside Theater
All Ages
Milwaukee

04/13/12
Warfield Theater
All Ages
San Francisco

04/15/12
Coachella
Indio
SOLD OUT

04/22/12
Coachella
Indio
SOLD OUT

04/24/12
Ogden Theatre
16+
Denver

04/26/12
House of Blues
All Ages
Dallas

04/27/12
Verizon Wireless Theater
All Ages
Houston

Kredo - One of Kind (Dubstep) (Preview)

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Kredo is a fantastic artist with a few releases under his belt, courtesy of Bonerzing records. With hits (and personal favorites) like "The Judge" and "Suspense is Killing Me" there are few things he's got left to prove. But while both songs are heavy electro singed tunes, his new track "One of a Kind" is decisively dubstep. His new track comes out on February 1st on Beatport, and you can be sure I'll be posting the link as soon as it does. In addition to his original version (preview of it, that is), Kredo's provided remixes by Tommie Keeston, Charlie Kane, and Finish Him all found streaming below via his Facebook page. Keep an eye on Kredo for 2012, and stay tuned for "One of a Kind."
Kredo - One Of A Kind *OUT FEBRUARY 1'ST* by Bonerizing Records

Filo and Peri - Subzero (Electro/House)

2012-01-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

An electro house duo from the big NYC have released a new jam titled "Subzero" which is now available on Beatport as well. Their band's Facebook page boasts a like number of 100,000+. All of those people can't be wrong. This new song combines a few different genre-elements from the electronic dance music arena. It's got a very rhythmic beat along with hot synths and bouncy melodies. I'd almost say this song sways within dutch house and electro house. Either way, it's a great track and worth the listen and download below. If you love the song, support the band by checking out their Facebook, Soundcloud, and Beatport.

Filo & Peri - Subzero | Facebook | Soundcloud | Beatport

Trampboat - Ah! (Electro/Glitch)

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-05:00

Plasmapool Records has seized 2012 outright, and only a few weeks into the new year. First, Joe Garston's dreamy electro song "The Promise" debuted, now we've got another sure-fire hit. Trampboat is probably not a name that brings electronic dance music to one's imagination. But within the opening seconds of Trampboat's new song "Ah!" you can be sure you'll be jamming out to it. "Ah!" has all the right moves; it's got a nice, still piano melody that plays throughout, a hopping mainline and glitchy echoes of synth and dutch bleeps. Like most great electro songs the kick is heavy and hard with a thumping bass. This is a great and early discovery of 2012 and would not be surprised to see this re-surface on a few different top EDM songs of the year. Check out a preview of this song below streaming from the band's Soundcloud and make a quick judgement to snatch this tune up on Beatport. You'll be glad you did.

Trampboat - Ah! | Buy this on Beatport | Facebook Them
Trampboat - Ah! (Original Mix) *OUT NOW* by Trampboat

Oliver - Dirty Talk (Nu Disco/House)

2012-01-24T10:30:00.002-05:00

The genre of Nu Disco is dicey at best. Much like my proclaimed abstinence from DNB in my post about Netsky's newest (awesome) offering, Nu Disco has a lot to like about it and a lot to 'meh' about. There have been some sensational steals like SebastiAn's "Tetra" and just about anything by Breakbot ("Baby I'm Yours," and "Fantasy"). Largely, though, the genre features nice, groovy back tones, but often are repetitive and fail to evolve over the scope of the song. But every once and a while, there's a song that comes along that makes one completely reconsider their aggressive stance. Ladies and gentlemen, Oliver's "Dirty Talk" is one such example. His newest EP contains this song "Dirty Talk" below as well as three remixes of the original track. Listen and download the track below and buy the album on Beatport is this is your sort of jam.

Oliver - Dirty Talk | Buy on Beatport